The new big opera house in Copenhagen is situated on Dokøen on Holmen. Designed by architect Henning Larsen and opened in January 2005, it is believed to be one of the most modern opera houses in the world with phenomenal acoustics. The interior is decorated by works from famous Danish and Nordic artists. The big foyer which faces the waterfront and the Opera Café & Restaurant are open to the public.
www.operaen.dk

Holmen is also the home for a string of other cultural institutions. Behind the Opera lies the Art Academy School of Architects, College of Rhythmic Music, the Film School and Theatre School.

The navy’s old torpedo hall has been turned into fantastic apartments with nearby new terrace houses offering their new owners private docks. The former cannon warehouses are now occupied by creative and trendy companies although there are still some of the old untouched buildings left to give the area a feeling of raw nostalgia.

At the very top of the Refshaleøen you will find the beach-bar Halvandet with reclining chairs and a great view of the harbour area.

At the northern part of Christianshavn is the North Atlantic Wharf where the old Warehouse C, which dates from 1767, is home for the Icelandic Embassy and the Faroese and Greenlandic representatives. Temporary visiting exhibitions with connections to the Nordic Countries are on show here and there is a restaurant serving food with a Nordic touch using Nordic ingredients

In Tranegraven just around the corner in the Christianshavn’s Canal, a few houseboats lie side by side and a couple of the boats have been turned into restaurants.

Gammel Dok in Strandgade is home for the Danish Architectural Centre (DAC) with temporary exhibitions where work is focused on architectural developments. Eigtveds Parkhus is the warehouse next door which is used by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, just behind Asiatisk Plads (The Asiatic Square).

Christiansbro is the name of a brand new area of the city near Christianskirken (The Christian’s Church) at the end of Strandgade on the old B&W shipyard. The buildings facing the harbour area were designed by Henning Larsen and are the head office of one of the big banks. The exclusive residential area behind the front buildings is divided by canals running into the harbour.

Closest to Langebro (Long Bridge) is Islands Brygge Folkepark which has plenty of space for sunbathing, relaxing, playing and swimming in the popular harbour pool. More and more cafés and boutiques are opening up in the area along the quayside.

Just south of the recreational area there is a very lively atmosphere with lots of building work going on. A new part of the city is about to be born – Havnestaden (The Harbour Town). One of the most significant buildings is Gemini, a former grain warehouse which has been converted into amazing apartments.

Nokken is just at the end of Islands Brygge. It is an interesting little society within a society which is in sharp contrast to the very modern buildings and modern way of life only a short distance further north. Here, at Nokken, the residents have built the houses themselves along the harbour front.

From Nordre Toldbod the Royal Barge sails to the Royal Yacht, Dannebrog, which is often anchored here. South of here is the A P Møller’s Head Office, there is also a row of beautiful old warehouses converted for residential use and the Vestindisk Pakhus (West Indian Warehouse) on Toldbodgade where the Royal Cast Collection is housed.

From Amaliehaven (The Amalie Garden) there is a beautiful view of Frederikskirken (The Frederik’s Church) and the new Opera House. The New Playhouse is being built in Kvæsthusgade and will open during 2007.

Den Sorte Diamant (The Black Diamond) is an extremely interesting building and is home to the Royal Library. Designed by the architects Schmidt, Hammer and Lassen in 1999 it is one of the most innovate buildings along the Copenhagen harbour front. A stunning example of 20th century architecture.

South of the Black Diamond is the international Hotel Marriott and between it and Nykredit’s buildings you will see a number of statues by the artist Per Kirkeby.

If you pass Fisketorvet towards the harbour area you will see a huge building site. Here they are building the new part of town called Havneholmen which will consist of both offices and residential areas and include a new recreational area with a harbour pool. The first residents are expected to move in late 2007.

You will also find a hive of building activity further south at Teglholmen. Here they are building a residential area in the style of a Dutch canal “town”. Teglholmen is also the IT area of Copenhagen. Nokia’s house, in particular, is a big success with a fantastic bridge connecting the buildings with the recreational area.

Squeezed in by all the new building work you will find the old area of Valby Boat Club with its long row of small red houses and interesting boats.

The fine little “lock building” at the end of Sydhavnen (South Harbour) is designed by architect Vilhelm Dahlerup.

Kulturhavn (Cultural Harbour) is Copenhagen’s yearly harbour festival with culture and leisure activities along the harbour front - including sport, theatre, music and various events. The festival last 4 days in early August 2006. www.kulturhavn.dk

There are several possibilities for eating with water below the hull. Please find below a few ideas of where to go, but do also look around the canal areas of Christianshavn and Holmen.

These depart from near the big anchor memorial in Nyhavn. The restaurant boats sail through the canals of Copenhagen between June and early September. www.canaltours.dk

Kajplads 151, Nyhavn outside house numbers 53 – 61 in Nyhavn. The ship, which is nearly 100 years old, is permanently anchored at the end of the northern quayside with a fantastic view.
www.aok.dk

Departure from Havnegade and sails through the harbour all year round on selected days of the week.
www.sagaqueen.dk

Departs from the big anchor memorial in Nyhavn. The ship ‘Klodshans’ sails around the harbour area between mid-May and mid-September.
www.aok.dk

If you want to experience the harbour and the canals from the water – there are several possibilities.

Guided tours of about 1 hour taking you through the harbour area and the canals. They depart from Nyhavn and Gammel Strand. During the summer they sail daily every ½ hour and in winter they sail only on Saturdays. www.canaltours.dk

Guided tours of about 1 hour sailing through the harbour and canal area. They depart from Holmens Kirke (Holmens Church) opposite Børsen the former stock exchange and in Nyhavn by Heibergsgade. The boats sail from late March and late October.
www.nettobaadene.dk

The water buses sail in the canals of Copenhagen and through the harbour area. There are no guides on boat and are meant as a “hop on hop off” sightseeing. They sail between the Little Mermaid via Gammel Strand, The Black Diamond to Fisketorvet in the southern part of the city. www.canaltours.dk

A trip on the yellow harbour buses takes in total 1 hour. The harbour bus has 5 stops at various points in the harbour area. Read more about the harbour buses on www.movia.dk

Copenhagen Water Taxi’s are nicknamed “flyvefisken” the flying fish. You can chose between a taxi trip or sightseeing tours with an audio tape as your guide. www.flyvefisk.dk

Guided tours with professional instructors kayaking through the canals. All tours are tailor-made to suit the individual person. Please read more on www.kajakole.dk

During the summer the City Bike is an easy and comfortable way to get round the city – also in the harbour area. All you have to do is to put 20,00 kr in the coin slot (like in a supermarket trolley) when you pick up the bike in one of the many racks dotted around the city. You will get the 20,00 Kr back when you return the bike to any of the racks specially made for the City Bikes. Read more at www.bycyklen.dk